Calico Kitten
by cloudluvsme13
Summary: Tony isn't known for taking in strays, but Pepper's little Calico is an exception. Events leading up to to the Avengers. TonyxOc Tony/Oc ... I fail at summaries. *Finished!*
1. Prologue 1 of 2

Pepper was supposed to be at the airport bright and early to pick up Calico, before it got crowded, but Calico was left standing outside of the airport, alone (and afraid).

After several awkward moments of the small red-haired woman standing on the sides of the building, she finally walked outside and sat on the curb with her backpack. She rested her head in her hands, a bit put out at having to wait for Pepper, her older cousin, after her long plane ride (to a place she'd never _been _at that).

And Pepper knew Calico didn't fare well with other people (what with her having her whole "socially impaired" situation). The young woman found it almost _cruel _that Pepper had the gall to abandon her in the strange city!-

"Oh, Calico! There you are!" Pepper's voice rang loudly in the morning air. She threw her arms around Calico and rambled on about how sorry she was for leaving her sweet baby cousin _all alone_.

"Pepper, I'm so tired." Calico whispered. Pepper frowned and ushered her into a car that had, at some point, pulled up to Calico's corner.

"Sorry I'm late, Cali. It's my boss. He had a bit of a hangover." Pepper apologized again.

"B-boss? Will we be living in the same house?" Calico asked.

"Yeah, but I already told him about our situation, so he'll try not to bother you."

"Err…"

"That won't stop him, though. Just ignore him…"

Calico pouted and shut her eyes, enjoying the car ride. She soon nodded off to the sound of Pepper's voice and the motions of the car.

* * *

"Cali! Wake up! We're here." Pepper's voice snapped Calico out of her nap.

Her silver eyes trailed to the gigantic house in front of them. She felt herself shrink as she stepped out of the car, backpack in tow. Pepper held Calico's smaller hand in her own and guided her into the foyer.

"It's big." Calico sighed softly. Pepper giggled and looked at her watch. She gasped and grabbed Calico's slender shoulders, giving them a gentle shake.

"I'm late, alright? I have to be to work. Your room is the last one upstairs to the left. This is the main house."

"Uh-"

"Mr. Stark is most likely in his workshop, the kitchen, or watching TV. He should be at a meeting, but he's… Yeah. Avoid those places and you'll be able to avoid contact. But you _will have to deal with him eventually."_

"I_-"_

"I'll see you later~!" Pepper cooed, kissing Calico on each of her soft cheeks and running out the front door (as fast as she could in heels, anyway). So the young ginger embarked on her first adventure; to her new bedroom!

Calico felt her jaw drop as she made her way to the back upstairs. The house was large and white, perfect and clean...

But what really made it perfect was _her_ room. It was a soft, baby blue with a gigantic bed (as opposed to the tiny mattress she slept on before Pepper had come to her rescue), and several dressers. The living space was large enough for her to be comfortable, but small enough for her to feel secure. And the bathroom brought her near tears.

Calico dropped her bag on the ground and smiled widely, taking it all in. She'd never been in a home so beautiful.

"Like it~?" a male voice sang from the doorway.

Calico jumped and covered her eyes, slowly turning toward the door. She peeked through her fingers and nearly died at the sight.

There was a man- a _severely_ handsome man! - with short, messy brown hair and large chocolate-colored eyes. He had what Calico referred to as facial scruff- that is to say a goatee- and was sporting a black tee-shirt. His chest was glowing in the center.

There was a smug grin on his face when he realized she was staring at him. Calico felt heat rise in her cheeks. She proceeded to lower her hands, attempting to smile back.

"I-I um... What?"

"Like your room?" the man repeated, leaning against the wall and sliding his hands into his (nice-fitting) jeans. Calico nodded stiffly.

"It's p-perfect." she said in her light, feathery voice. He was silent for a moment, apparently deciding that she was fit for further interrogation.

"What's your name? I'm sure Pepper told me at some point, but I'm not good with names."

"Calico Potts. You must be Mr. Anth-ony Stark?" Calico's face reddened. She slapped a hand over her mouth, hoping he didn't hear her stumbling over her words. He chuckled.

"How cute... Yes. Call me Tony!" he said, sticking out a hand. Calico shook it, attempting to look grown up (But failing- Calico wasn't the most adult looking adult). She pulled away her hand and nodded in the direction of her bed, where her turtle-pack resided.

"I have to unpack my- er - backpack, so if you could..."

"You only brought one bag? What kind of girl are you...?" Tony snickered, walking down the stairs. Calico gripped her chest and plopped down on her bed, practically exploding with fear and excitement and other emotions she didn't even know existed.

Calico lived under the same roof as Tony Stark- genius, playboy, billionaire, and philanthropist! He wasn't even as scary as she imagined him being.

Pepper's shrill cries pierced the air as she yelled at Tony about him not being at some meeting. Calico giggled.

_This could actually be fun!_


	2. Prologue 2 of 2

_My first night here and I'm not even tired... _

Calico found herself lying awake late that night, staring at her digital alarm clock (It read 1:34 AM, if you were curious). She wanted to explore the house more (At that time, there was very little chance of her running into Tony _or_ Pepper.) but she was scared that she might make too much noise, and wake everyone up...  
_... Then _there was the fact that she couldn't tolerate sitting in the dark for another ten hours or so, and the fear of waking anyone up went out the window.

Little Calico slipped out of her silk sheets, pulled shorts on under her large "Alice Cooper" shirt, and gently padded out of her room, shutting the door behind her. She was surprised to find a light illuminating the floor below her. She tiptoed down the stairs and quietly walked in the direction the light was coming from.

She found herself in the kitchen with Tony Stark sitting on the marble island, happily munching on what looked like it was at one point a hard-shelled taco, oblivious to her presence. He was wearing a black tank-top and drawstring pants, and his chest was still glowing (she'd have to ask what that thing was sometime soon).

For some reason Calico found the scene before her pretty funny, and a series of low giggles passed through her lips. Tony's brown eyes widened as he dropped his food on the ground and turned toward Calico with a slightly panicked expression. When he realized it was only Calico he looked sadly at his lost meal, but then he raised an eyebrow at Calico.

"...Sorry you lost your food?" she awkwardly offered, feeling her face warm up.

"It's not the food; you scared the hell out of me! I just finished watching a shitload of horror movies." Tony stated, cleaning up the mess on the otherwise clean floor.

"But you're Iron Man!" Calico blurted.

"Iron Man doesn't stand a chance against those creepy ass giggling-little-ghost-girls."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense..." Calico mumbled something about Iron Man and creepy little children in white.

"Why are you awake?"

"I don't sleep much..." Calico said, ignoring the snappy '_Why are _you _awake'_ phrase that was lingering in the back of her throat.

She folded her hands in front of her and stared at them, feeling her face get progressively warmer. Tony snickered at her discomfort as he tossed his trash.

"Not very good with people, are we?"

"No. That's part of the reason I'm here, actually." Calico admitted, looking over at the older man with shy silver eyes. Tony pointed to the door and walked into the living room with Calico following suit. He plopped down on the sleek black couch, Calico sitting a cushion away from him, curious to see what he wanted.

"Alright, I want to know why you have to live here." Tony said after a couple seconds of silence.

"... I'm a - er... I don't..." she stammered, averting her gaze away from his accusing brown eyes. After he looked at her strangely (and she dealt with a few awkward sentences that made her sound as if she had suffered brain damage), Calico sighed and ran a small hand over her reddened face.

"You're a lot smarter when you're not speaking."

"Oh, shut up! I meant to say that my parents put me out." Calico spat. Tony tilted his head to the side. She looked in the opposite direction.

"Why the hell would they put _you_ out? You look pretty harmless."

"Because I like sciencey things... Technology and engineering, you know? And my mom wanted me to be..." Calico pouted. "She wanted me to be a social little _lady_. A housewife. That's not who I am." Calico looked mildly surprised at her own solid, non-stuttering voice.

"That's it? Your mom put you out for being a _nerd_?"

"You said it like an asshole! You like the same things. Hello? _Iron Man_!"

"But I don't _look _like a nerd."

"Not everyone's so lucky... She pretty much wants nothing to do with me. Pepper somehow caught wind of this, and she had me flown here."

"Not a very long story, eh?"

"You have a right to know if I'm gonna be living here. Don't worry, I'll get a job."

Tony chuckled.

"You're fine. What are you, like eighteen? Can you even legally find work? You're like three."

"Err, I'm actually _twenty-_three. With a college degree."

"Close enough! But money isn't an issue. I'll always have enough of that. Pepper will problably take care of you too- you're like her unofficial child." Tony leaned over and gave Calico's cheek a playful pinch. She snickered.

"You're pretty cool. For a _genius-billionaire-playboy_." Calico smiled crookedly. She'd suddenly felt like she'd known Tony for as long as she'd known Pepper (that is to say, well, her whole life).

"You're not bad, either. For a _Potts_."

"I mean, I guess..."

* * *

Pepper walked into Calico's room early the next morning to find her bed empty and her sheets messy. When it was confirmed that she wasn't in the bathroom either, she headed toward the living room because it sounded like Tony left the television on again.

She stopped and had to cover her mouth when she saw her cute little Calico asleep in a cute little ball, with her shiny pumpkin-colored curls, covering half of her face. Pepper pulled out her phone to take a picture.

"About to take a picture? Bit creepy, don't you think?"

"Oh, shush Tony. Why is she down here?" Pepper asked when she'd gotten what she wanted.

"Oh, you know. We went out and got drunk. Nailed a few dames, broke a few car windows."

"... Don't joke like that. Go get dressed."

* * *

_**I had to add this chapter because my friend was like "Joi-Su, why the hell is Calico living with Tony? Can the next chapter have them getting to know each other? Blah-ddy blah-ddy blah~!"**_

_**Oh, and if you guys want to give me any ideas, that'll be cool. Remember to review for continuation! Even though if you don't review, I'll still probably continue. XD**_

_**Summer means more updates, guys!**_


	3. The Proposal

Calico got lonely a few minutes after Pepper and Tony left, so she was left to harass Jarvis- who she had discovered when she was talking to herself about how she wondered what the weather was like outside a few days earlier (needless to say he'd scared her at first*).

So she was cooped up in the house with nothing to do, her only companion being a computer. Nothing on the Television. No money to go see any movies or _anything_. At least, up to this particular day, Pepper had left her with some money and some task to preform. And Tony's workshops- where the magic happened.

Calico finally gave a dry sob of boredom.

"Jarvis, have any idea when Pepper and... the _other_ one are going to be home...?"

"Miss Potts will be home on scheduled time as always."

"I wasn't here always... I just got here two days ago." Calico mumbled with a frown on her plump pink lips.

"Mr. Stark will be home in."

Jarvis paused. Calico winced at the silence on the house's part.

"I didn't... _break_ you, did I?"

"Mr. Stark will be home in four."

"Four what, Jarvis? I don't speak in codes-"

"Mr. Stark is home."

Calico heard the front door open. She slowly walked to meet him in the foyer.

"Isn't he supposed to be at um..."

"Remember who it is you're _talking_ about please, Miss Potts." Jarvis said as Tony walked in, a package in tow tugging at his tie with one hand and removing his (expensive looking) sunglasses with his other. He made a throaty noise and pointed at Calico with his tie in hand.

"Uh, _no!_ This is a- a _situation_."

"Work?"

"I was bored. But _this_," he waved his tie at her and tucked his shades into hispocket, "Is a _problem_."

Calico's bottom lip protruded in confusion as she looked around for what he was whining about.

"Err..."

"You're _clothes_, Calico! They're too big; they offend me."

"Pepper's." Calico shrugged as if to say 'Hey, not my fault!'

"They are much too large. You look like you're drowning in them."

Calico pouted at him.

"Don't look at me like th-"

"What's in the box?"

"Things. But we have more important matters to attend to." Tony said, kicking the box so that it was fully in the house and unbuttoning his shirt simultaneously.

Calico gave a small squeak and slapped her hands over her eyes (but being Calico, she did peek through her fingers).

He looked down at the glowing blue circle looking thing in his chest and sighed.

"Alright- we'll worry about your pants sagging like you're a west coast gangster later."

"That was an oddly specific comparison."

"Follow me. I have to tell you something important."

"Yeah but... Do you have to be half naked?"

"Man up, Potts. You're grown ass woman. And we both know you're enjoying the view." The pair snickered as Tony led Calico to what seemed to be his workshop.

* * *

He sat at a desk and pulled a silver box out of the drawer, opening it up to reveal several sleek cartridges. He slid the blue power-source out, opening it up and replacing the old, burned cartridge with one of the new ones. He waved it in Calico's face while he attempted to form a sentence.

"I've seen you staring at this on... On uh, several different occasions."

" You make me sound like a creeper." Tony laughed at the awkward and guilty look on her face.

"Well, this is the device that's keeping me alive, and-"

"What's up with the hieroglyphics going on on your um... body?" Calico shyly pointed at the marks spreading out and around his reddened chest. Tony shrugged and popped the device back in.

"It's also killing me, if you'd please let me finish my sentence next time." Tony said smoothly, ignoring the look of horror on her face.

"_What_? I just met you and you're telling me _this_?"

Tony wagged his finger at Calico with a smile.

"See, this is where you overreact. You're smart and I'm smart. Obviously not as smart as me..."

"You egotistical-"

"...but you've made it clear that your the only person around here other than me that, you know, speaks English." Tony said, waving a hand around his workshop. Calico shrugged.

"So?"

"I have a proposal to make, Miss Calico Kitten Potts."

"My name doesn't have the word 'Kitten' anywhere in it-"

"Yeah, but that's what you get for having a name like Calico."

"..."

"Help _me_ to help _humanity_. The world _needs_ Iron Man." Tony finally said, his gaze dark and intense. Calico nibbled on her bottom lip.

She wanted to call Tony an egotistical son of a bitch, but she knew he was right. The world needed Iron Man, even if he was a complete jerk.

"So help me out here. Being poisoned slowly is not a fun experience, let me tell you." Calico snorted at his overly calm demeanor.

"Am I the only one who knows?" she asked as he slowly rose to his feet.

"So far. Either I work my ass off to find a way to reverse the process or I'm working my ass off to leave my legacy behind, and I don't want to have to go at it alone. And if I don't succeed in anything, _you're_ who I want to spend my last hours with."

"If I recall, work is one of your least favorite past times." Calico said with a cat-like grin. Tony snorted.

"Oh yeah. Speaking of work, I could go for a drink. Something hard. You?"

"We just got finished establishing that you're slowly dying and we need to find you something to fix it... and you're already plotting on your next drink?"

"You betcha."

"... I'll take a few pints of scotch, I guess."

"Good girl!" Tony patted Calico on the back as they headed to his bar.

* * *

_***Okay, honestly? If I was a guest at somebody's house and it started to talk back to me like Jarvis, I'd probably say something stupid like, "God? Is that you?" or "Holy doughnut, there's voices in my head."**_

_**I figured out an actual plot for the story! ^o^...**_

_**So maybe I should change the genre from "Humor" to like "Adventure" or something? XD Even though it'll still be pretty damn... Tony Stark.**_


	4. Calico Discovers She Has A

"Boxes. Crushing my dreams since birth." Calico mumbled to herself, fingering the material of her dress sadly. Little white shoes. Lacy white dress. Pepper and Tony _obviously_ hated her, otherwise they wouldn't have bought her an extensive collection of outfits fit for a baby-doll.  
_Cute_ _wittle dwesses_, in the words of Pepper.

She groaned and stomped toward Tony's room to complain (amazing that she could now navigate her way there _perfectly_ without getting lost), but instead ran into the chest of a slightly older woman. The chest in question was large and somewhat soft, (so there were obviously no casualties) and her hair was thick and blonde (But her eyebrows were pretty black, so Calico figured her hair wasn't _really_ blonde). Her lips were painted an apple red and they were smiling smugly down at the ginger.

Calico blushed as she stepped away from the woman. She wasn't quite in the mood to face one of Tony's _girls_.

"Are you Anthony's maid?" the woman asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Calico felt her face burn even more so - more out of irritation that embarrassment.

She didn't bother answering (she was still cripplingly shy around strangers), and instead tried to walk around Blondie. Instead, she stuck out her arm, effectively stopping Calico. She waggled her other finger at Calico and shook her head.

"No no, you don't want to clean in there yet. Mr. Stark is still in there. You should know better than to clean when your boss-"

"I'm not a maid." Calico stated blandly, walking under the stick thin arm with a pout. Blondie scoffed, muttering something offensive about Calico's red hair. Calico felt her eye twitch in annoyance, so she turned around on her heel and gave Blondie the most menacing glare she could muster.

"I have two things I want to tell you. The first is that your boobs go in your shirt, like mine." Calico groped her smaller breasts for emphasis.

"You're just jealous that Mr. Stark would never want _your_ ugly ass!" Blondie retaliated. Calico ignored her.

"The second is that I'm Tony's assistant, his friend, his protegee, and you're nothing but another piece of-"

"Whoa, Calico!" Pepper ran up the stairs with what could only be the woman's clothes in her hand (and a relatively shocked look on her face).

"Here you are ma'am, and the door is that way. I'll call a cab when you're ready. I'm so sorry for this girl's behavior." Pepper gave Blondie (Currently glaring at Calico) a tight lipped smile. Blondie turned and smiled politely at Pepper, proceeding to saunter away. Calico crossed her arms over her chest and sniffed indignantly.

"She shakes her butt any harder she's gonna break something." she spat bitterly. Pepper gave Calico a small hug and suppressed her fit of giggles.

"Why were you so upset, Cali? You can't harass Tony's whores, because there's always plenty around for him to bed. He's a playboy; it's what he does." Pepper broke down, patting the top of Calico's head.

"I know he's a playboy. I just..." Calico wrinkled her nose and stepped away from Pepper, tilting her head to the side.

"You don't have a... a crush on him, do you?" Pepper asked, taking a few slow steps toward the smaller woman.

"N-no! I just don't want to have to share him. He's the only person other than you, Rhodes, and Happy that I don't want to kill with fire." Calico mumbled, tugging at the hem of her dress with a small blush and pout.

"Uh-oh, why does Freckles look like a kicked puppy?" Tony's voice echoed as he made his way over to Calico and Pepper.

The cousins exchanged looks - Calico's was more confused and embarrassed, where Pepper's was mildly proud. Calico finally broke the eye contact by looking down at her shoes, cheeks still burning.

"One of your girls insulted Little Cali and she _stood up for herself_!" Pepper chirped, clapping her hands. Tony raised a brow.

"I didn't know you had the guts." Tony teased, throwing an arm around her shoulders. Pepper smiled cheekily.

"I know, right? I've never been more proud!"

"Oh, _shut up_! Both of you!"

* * *

Calico probably shouldn't have been messing around in Tony's basement, because those vintage cars meant the world to him. In fact, if she were to even think about taking one of them apart (which she was), Tony would potentially destroy her.

Which was why she heard him give her a greeting from so close to her left ear, she nearly had a heart attack.

"Tony!"

"I have amazing news, Calico." Tony said sarcastically, not a trace of a smile on his handsome features. Calico flinched, waiting for the worst. He slid into the worn seat-cushion next to her with a slight pout.

"Well?"

"My blood toxicity is at thirty-three." He answered, resting his head on Calico's small shoulder and looking at her with sad brown eyes. Calico wrapped one of her arms around him.

"Tony... I swear to god that if you die, I will kill you." Calico threatened, giving him a slight shake. He chuckled at her.

"Neither of us have found a substitute for the palladium core in the arc reactor."

"I know." Calico lowered her eyes in slight shame.

"Don't look so sad. I made Pepper the CEO, so when I die..."

"If Pepper's the CEO, who's taking Pepper's place?"

"Babe named Natalia." Tony said smugly, tapping his fingers against the dashboard of the car. Calico rolled her eyes.

"Might as well enjoy my last days."

"Don't say that, Tony. We'll find something that works! Besides, you and I both know you love yourself too much to die."

* * *

_**Sorry it's so short and sorry it took so long to upload! XD I spent the past few days in withdrawal (I quit drinking coffee after drinking a MINIMUM of three cups a day for my entire life...)! Remember to review? ^^**_


	5. Tony Also Has A

"Miss Potts? Sorry to wake you so early." Natalie Rushman's smooth voice jerked Calico into consciousness. She struggled temporarily with her ankles being tangled in her blankets. Natalie chuckled at her confusion.

"Miss Potts." Natalie repeated, walking to stand next to Calico's bed. Calico raised her hand and flopped it around in the air. Natalie raised an eyebrow at the strange action.

"It's alright... I'm uuup. Natalie man, I'm up." she exclaimed groggily, sitting up and stretching.

"Right, well... Mr. Stark would like to see you. He asked that you wear a black dress." Natalie said. Calico snorted at his oddly specific request, nodded, and began to stand up, but the other woman wouldn't leave. She continued to stare down at Calico with a small smile.

"Anything else, Nat?" Calico asked, tilting her head to the side. Natalie placed her hand on her chest and sighed.

"Oh, it's just that... You remind me of this cute little kitty I had when I was a kid..."

"You can leave now."

"I mean, he was small and orange and _everything_, just like you -"

"Seriously, you can leave."

* * *

"You woke me early up so that we could get _doughnuts_?" Calico whined, dropping her face onto the table. Tony snickered and pinched the back of her neck, making her jump back to a sitting position.

"Not just doughnuts! You have coffee too. And I do have _other_ things planned for today!" he defended himself, clearing his throat afterward. Calico stuck out her tongue (He didn't see it, but it made her feel better).

Then Calico remembered that she loved doughnuts, and began to happily nibble on the one that the waitress had placed in front of her. Tony smiled at her sudden change in mood, taking slow sips of his drink.

"You're pretty cute, aren't you?" He stated after a few moments of silence. Calico blushed and shrugged, never removing the pastry from her mouth.

"I don't know." she said dumbly. Tony snickered at her expense, then reached over and pinched her cheek.

"You look like a doll. Kind of act like I imagine one would, too."

"Thanks, I guess..."

"Just a very weird doll."

"Er... What else are we doing today?" Calico asked, dropping the rest of her snack.

"You know. Things."

"... See, now I'm scared." Calico said, staring suspiciously at Tony. He simply smiled wider and jerked his head in the direction of the door.

"C'mon, Kid." He said as he rose to his feet. Calico followed suit, excitedly jumping into the passenger's seat of his car (She honestly just wanted to ride with the top down. She was a bit of a child at heart).

"You love this old whore-red* Mustang, don't you?" Tony asked over the engine as Calico bounced in her seat and looked outside of the car.

"It's every girl's dream, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't say _that_, but-"

"Where are we going?" Calico asked again, turning around to look at Tony. He glanced over at Calico with a charming smile.

"Pepper tells me you've never been to the beach. I'd love to be the first to take you."

Calico's smile faded and was soon replaced with a pout.

"My mom is a crazy old bat. Said it's unseemly for a girl like me to be seen in a bathing suit. Actually, I don't want to go to the beach. Speaking of, I don't own a bathing suit- we have to turn around!" Calico said in a smooth sentence. Tony gave a single laugh.

"Nice try! Pepper's going to be there too, and she bought you something."

"I burn easily."

"Sunscreen, for those of you who don't tan well."

"I'll make a break for it."

"Your legs are small."

"I - wait, how did you get my measurements for the bathing suit?"

"We did it while you were sleeping. Not very top heavy, are you?"

"You _whore_..." Calico mumbled under the roaring engine.

"What was that?"

"Nothing~!"

Calico smiled innocently at her friend.

"Don't think insulting me will make you go home. It makes me want to force you into the water."

"..."

* * *

"Why is she hiding like I won't break this door down?" Tony asked Pepper. She nodded in agreement.

"After all that work I had to go through to find a bathing suit that fits her properly? I want to see what it looks like." Tony nodded right back at her, proceeding to take the key to the house out of Pepper's opened palm.

"You have to the count of five -"

"I'm not coming out! I don't want to go swimming!" Calico whined. Pepper and Tony exchanged weary looks.

"And she wonders why you nicknamed her Kitten." Pepper mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"One." Tony started, fingering the key in his hand.

"She's not coming out, just open the door." Tony held up his index finger to his lips.

"Three."

"What happened to two?" Calico asked.

"Four, five." Tony kicked the door open (much to Peppers displeasure; it was completely unnecessary) and spotted Calico frowning a few feet away, covering the front of her body with a soft pink towel.

"I don't know if you realize this, but that look fazes neither one of us."

"Move the towel, I want to see if the bathing suit fits." Pepper called into the beach house.

"You guys are heartless - ARGH!" Tony tossed Calico over his shoulder and calmly walked out of the door, leaving Pepper to close it behind them.

"Well, I can see that it fits around your butt, but I had a time finding a top... Drop her please, Tony." Pepper directed, waving her hand in their general direction.

Tony set her on the ground and took her towel away.

When Pepper approved of the yellow bikini and had went to read her book, Tony wrapped an arm around little Calico's waist and headed for the water. He walked until the water was at his waist (which was slightly below the girl's bust), and then Calico had to stop him by tugging on the back of his trunks.

"I can't swim..." Calico started, clinging to Tony's arm. The lack of a shirt caught her eye (she'd forgotten in her panic that Tony would _probably_ be wearing trunks) and she found herself ogling him after a few seconds. He was in _very_ good shape, she decided.

Tony cleared his throat, and when Calico looked up he was wearing a smug grin. Her cheeks burned for the umpteenth time that day.

"I thought this was supposed to be the other way around? Me staring at you?" He teased her, leaning down and pressing his forehead against her's. She had no choice but to look into his satisfied face (or else look down at his body again, because that was her _only_ other choice and that wouldn't help her embarrassment any).

"I-I wasn't looking at you because you're hot! I was wondering why um, the arc reactor - the markings!" She lied, touching his chest. She soon realized that touching him was a terrible choice on her part (especially considering the crime she was guilty of). Tony chuckled.

"It happened after my whole... birthday, situation. I'll tell you later.**" he said, placing a hand on her cheek and kissing her softly on the forehead. Calico felt her face flush deeper.

"O-Okay..."

The possibility of Pepper seeing them so close together suddenly popped into Calico's subconscious, so she turned around. Pepper was asleep on a chair with the book she was reading opened and lying on her stomach.

"She's gonna burn up." Tony said, arm still draped around Calico's slender waist. Calico shrugged.

"Still up to give me those swimming lessons we talked about a few minutes ago? That's a pretty valuable skill to have."

"I'm glad you're so concerned about the well being of your cousin."

* * *

_***I have no problems with the color red or whores. But for some reason, whores do wear that ONE shade of red, and me and my friends have taken to calling that shade "Whore-Red".**_

_****Should... should this get a chapter? I won't mind adding it. XD**_

_**Where in the world can I buy a computer that isn't completely obnoxious?**_

_**Also, where can I buy a Robert Downey Junior? Because I need one of those. X,D**_


	6. SHIELD and Rhodes

"Did you have fun at the beach yesterday, Calico?" Pepper asked when her tiny companion bounced into the kitchen early the next morning to grab a cup of coffee.

"Er, yes?" Calico asked, smiling up at Pepper with a tilt of the head. Pepper rested her mug on the counter.

"Anything happen?"

"Tony taught me how to swim."

"Anything... _else_?"

"You got sunburned because I didn't wake you up. Also, we're out of aloe. Sorry, I thought it was juice*"

"But you had all that time to figure out that it wasn't!"

"I was thirsty."

At this, Pepper groaned and rubbed her temples. Calico bit down on her lip, trying to keep from giggling like a madman.

"Damn it, Calico, I was talking about you and Tony getting together!" Pepper finally exploded, frantically waving her arms. Calico stopped her giggling and felt her smile drop, replaced by an embarrassed blush.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked, hunching her small shoulders and pouting.

"If you were in trouble, would I be smiling?"

"But I'm confused. You said me getting with him would end in a one night stand... or something along those lines. And then you said would go to jail for murder."

"Tony's been interested in you since you got here. I mean, he would have lost interest by now if he didn't _sincerely_ like you. Vice versa, because I know how you work when it comes to your crushes." Pepper said, smiling and pinching each of her cousin's rosy cheeks. Calico swatted away Pepper's hands, but looked taken aback at Pepper's cheerfulness all the same.

"There has to be another reason you're okay with us being... I mean." Calico covered her cheeks, trying to conceal the red that seemed to have permanently claimed the area as it's home. Pepper blushed slightly also, looking around to make sure there was nobody near.

"Rhodes." she whispered.

"Oh, you mean James, right? He likes you." Calico stated bluntly, smiling.

"Y-You don't know that, Cal!"

"You're going to ask me to ask Tony to set up a double date."

"I - wait, how did you know...?"

"Because he asked me the same thing. I'll do it for the meal, but it's pointless." Calico said, giggling. Pepper rolled her eyes, cheeks still a slight pink tint, and walked out of the kitchen with her mug in hand.

"Should I ask him?" Calico called after her. Pepper gave a very audible sigh.

"No, I'll just ask James!"

"You don't have the balls, Pepper. Let's be honest." Calico said, mimicking one of Tony's favorite phrases.

"... The man's rubbing off on you already."

* * *

Calico was sandwiched awkwardly between a Tony and a strange man in a suit. Across from her, on the other chair, was Natasha and a bald man (also a stranger to her) with an eye patch.

Tony was pouting with his arm around Calico, and seemed to be under dressed - wearing a simple black tank top and jeans.

The man on the other side of Calico was glaring at Tony. His hands were folded and resting on his lap.

The man on the other couch was also glaring at Tony (With his one eye, at least) and he looked like he would jump across the coffee table and slap him if Calico wasn't there.  
Natasha was trying not to laugh at the awkward (and slightly horrified) look on Calico's face.

Calico finally asked the question that had been lingering in the back of her throat for the past few minutes.

"W-who are you guys?"

"Phil Coulson." the man next to Calico said, holding out her hand for her to shake.

"I'm pretty sure your first name is _Agent_."

"Shut up, Stark." Phil said smoothly, looking straight ahead.

"Nick Fury. Here to make sure your boyfriend's dumb ass doesn't do anything..."

"Anything stupid that he would normally do?" Calico offered. Fury nodded.

"I'm glad you know your man's an idiot." Natasha said, smiling.

"Way to defend my honor, _Kitten_. Natasha, you're fired."

"We've been over this, Stark. It's not up to you."

"I thought your name was Natalie."

"That was a cover."

"... Alright." Calico sniffed, still disgruntled by the intruders in her home (or rather, Tony's home that she had claimed for her own).

"... Tony is sort of in a group called S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Sort of?"

"We're trying to get this asshole in the system, but he won't sit still long enough for us to finish." Fury said, turning to glare at Tony again. Tony, in return, shrugged and shifted, a smug smile on his face.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself." Natasha scolded. Calico sat up straighter.

"Um, I could keep him under house arrest if that's the issue. I mean, how long does he need to stay in?" she asked Fury.

"At least a week, but he's an asshole."

"I can manage." Calico offered with a shy smile. Fury, Phil, and Natasha all exchanged the same look before shrugging.

"What do we really have to lose at this point?" Natasha said, rising to her feet and walking out of the room. Phil and Fury said their goodbyes to Calico (taking special care to ignore Tony's snide remarks) and exited as well.

A few minutes after the trio had left, Tony turned to Calico and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"So, I'm gonna go grab some Starbucks..."

"Sit down before I castrate you, Tony."

"Oh, you don't have the balls."

"I will if I have to castrate you."

* * *

**_* I can't be the only idiot that tastes everything!...  
Okay, I probably am, never mind. XD_**

**_I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I could give you guys my MAIN reason, but it's so STUPID that there's a 9/10 chance you'll all collectively punch me in the face! XDDD_**

**_I feel like I should make a Twitter, or maybe a Tumblr. It will amuse me. *pushes up glasses*_**


	7. Stark Party

"I've never been to one of these before." Calico said nervously, clinging to Pepper's arm and avoiding eye contact with everyone who stared at her. Pepper sighed and rolled her eyes.

"It's usually more crowded at one of his parties. Consider yourself lucky this time." Pepper said, gently patting the top of her cousin's head. She proceeded to slide her arm out of Calico's grip.

"P-Pepper, don't leave!"

"Either mingle or find Tony and cling to him; I'm sure he's looking for you anyway." Pepper said, ignoring the pout Calico gave her.

"Go."

"You have no soul, _Virginia_!"

Calico groaned and stepped away from Pepper, not even making it ten feet before she was stopped by a man asking for her number.

And another.

And another.

"What do you do for a living?" one man asked her, to which she replied -

"I'm a female impersonator."

A woman finally came up to rescue her, but she looked like she hated Calico, despite never having met her in her life - and this wasn't helping _Calico's_ nerves at all. It seemed like simply _looking_ at Calico made her want to vomit.

"Short, red hair, white dress. You wouldn't happen to be a woman named _Calico Potts_, would you?" she spat, wrinkling her nose.

"I-I am." Calico fiddled with her fingers and smiled softly at the woman, attempting to make things feel less awkward. The woman stared Calico up and down before muttering what sounded vaguely like "Jail-bait".

Calico's smile fell, and she was tempted to scream "No, I'm legal! I'm _legal_!" Instead, she dropped her hands to her sides and waited for the woman to respond.

"Tony Stark wants to see you. Follow me." she said dully, leading Calico to what seemed to be one of the bars.

Tony was there, talking with a group of people and taking pictures alternatively. He looked dazzling in his smart (yet casual) black suit. He even looked like he was still sober (then again, it was relatively early in the event, so he probably wouldn't be intoxicated _quite_ yet).

When he noticed Calico his face lit up, and he pulled her out of her hiding place in the crowd. She felt her face heat up as she was held firmly her lover's side.

The people around them raised their eyebrows and looked around at each other with confused smiles and shrugs, obviously wondering who in the world this attractive young woman with Tony Stark was.  
A few people took pictures of the couple on their phones, not caring much because she was cute and Tony was cute, so it worked out fine for them.

"Guys, you might want to take a picture of _this_ if you take no other pictures tonight!"

"Who the hell is _she_?" a woman's voice shrieked, apparently upset that Tony wouldn't be taking her home. Tony kissed Calico on the top of her head.

"My sweet little kitten, Calico Potts." He cooed, leaning down to press his lips against her's for a brief second. In return, Calico shyly smiled and waved to the people.

She remained loyally by his side for a few minutes before she had to pull him outside to speak to him. She groaned and rubbed her eyes, attempting to get rid of the stars from all the camera flashes that were left.

"Why would you do that?" Calico whispered frantically. Tony tilted his head to the side.

"Do what, Calico?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"You made our relationship public! I barely wanted Pepper to know. Why would you do that, Tony?" Calico crossed her arms and glared at the taller man.

"For your safety." Tony said swiftly. Calico furrowed her brows and lowered her arms.

"What the hell are you talking about, Stark?"

"See, you're pretty damn lovable. In fact, it's near impossible to hate you. You already have a nice little group of admirers!"

"I uh... What?"

"C'mon, Calico - think about it! It'll be hard for _anyone_ to harm you if they're surrounded by people who love you! And really, you act like I won't protect you. I _am_ Iron Man." Tony explained. Calico bit her bottom lip and blushed.

"You charming bastard." Calico finally muttered, standing on her toes to give him a soft peck on the cheek. Tony smiled smugly and gently cupped her face as if she might break if he was any rougher. Calico smiled softly at the tender action.

"God, I love you!" Tony suddenly exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug and nuzzling his face into her neck. Calico squealed in shock and wrapped her arms around him as well.

"I-I love you too!"

* * *

_**So I made a Twitter. Now all I have to do is make the Tumblr. XD**_

_**Sorry this chappy was so short. ^^" The next one will be extra long!**_

_**Speaking of pineapples, when I'm done with this I don't know what to write in the next Marvel story. It's tied between Thor ****and**** Loki and... I don't know, whoever is the first to recommend something. XD I'm open to suggestions.**_


	8. Steve Stark

**_Er, fluff warning sort of?_**

* * *

"Excuse me, Miss - you wouldn't happen to be a woman named Calico Potts, would you?" a tall young man politely asked Calico while she was sitting alone in a coffee shop.

He was a pretty blond with light blue eyes. He was also fairly muscular (he looked like he could hold up Calico with one arm). Something about him, Calico noticed, was delightfully old fashioned. Probably the manners.

"Yes, may I ask how you know me?" Calico responded, offering him the seat across from her. The man sat down with a slight blush.

"Uh, I know your boyfriend, Tony. We work together. I'm Steve Rogers." he said somewhat shyly, holding out his hand for her to shake. Calico took it with a smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Steve! How do you know about me?"

"Oh, Tony talks about you all the time. I walked in here and realized that you fit his descriptions perfectly!" Steve said, smiling and shrugging.

"How did he describe me...?"

"Small, cute, ginger, gray eyes, wide hipped and small chested. Really weird shape, but it suits you well*."

"That son of a... Are you here to see him? I mean, because we live nearby..."

"Not by choice; for work. We don't get along well, and S.H.I.E.L.D - the organization we work for - forced us to spend the day together." Steve cutely crinkled his nose in disgust, causing Calico to giggle.

"Well I see _you_, where's _Tony_?" she asked, tracing circles around her empty mug with her finger. Steve pointed to the white convertible outside, where Tony was impatiently waiting in the driver's seat.

Calico smiled sheepishly and stood, leaving her money on the table. Steve rose to his feet.

"You should get going before he leaves. I think I'll hitch a ride, too." she said, tugging on his shirt. Steve followed her to the car like a lost puppy.

Tony looked shocked to see Calico with one of his least favorite people.

"I'm just letting you know now that I do _not_ approve." he said as Calico slid into the back seat, and Steve into the front. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Of what?" Calico asked, sticking her head between Steve's and Tony's as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"You talking to _this_ old man." Steve's cheeks turned pink as he shook his head.

"Be quiet Tony!"

"How old is he?" Calico pouted. Steve was _obviously_ younger than Tony, and maybe a year or so older than her.

"He's technically a World War Two vet." Tony said, nodding in his companion's direction. Steve huffed, turning to face Calico. She raised a brow at him.

"I'm ninety-three." he muttered, going on to explain that he was frozen for over sixty years. Calico nodded, then went into a fit of random giggles.

"What?" the two men asked in unison.

"Your stories! You guys are like living comic books! It's so weird!" she said, falling back against the seat and laughing slightly harder. Tony groaned, and Steve couldn't help but giggle at the girl's logic as well.

"Alright, Calico. Five minutes. You can't talk for five minutes."

"I love how she doesn't even try to call bluffs on my age."

* * *

"Is Steve going to come back tomorrow?" Calico asked, bursting into Tony's room in the middle of the night. He made a face at her.

"_Why_?"

"Because I liked him. He reminded me of me. He can't grow a beard either."

Tony rolled his eyes at her _special_ reasoning and beckoned her over to him. She happily sprawled out on his large bed (it was a good thing she was so small, otherwise there would be no room for him).

"I like it when it's just us more, anyway." Tony said, grinning down at his lover. She gave a goofy smile in his direction before relaxing her face.

"Not just the two of us. Us and Rhodes. And Pepper. And -"

"Calico." Tony shook his head with a smile gracing his handsome features once again.

"... Alright, I'll stop." she said, curling up against him and smiling back. Tony rubbed the top of her head, drawing a soft purr from her lips.

"Eye-patch says weird things are happening."

"Fury."

"Whatever. But you'll probably be seeing more bastards like Rogers and Romanoff."

"What?"

"Yeah, you aren't supposed to get involved. But I don't care, so you'll be close at hand."

"What weird things?" Calico furrowed her brow.

"Don't worry." he cooed, bending down to kiss her lips. She hummed contently and worked her way farther into his side.

"I don't care what's going on, I guess. Just be careful."

"I make no promises."

"Tony! - alright, just don't _die_."

"I love myself too much for that."

"... What about me?"

"You too. I love you too."

"Me too. You, I mean." Tony smiled and stroked her cheek. He then rolled over and straddled Calico's hips, gaining a shocked look from her. He pressed his forehead against her's and smiled mischievously.

"Let's have sex."

"We're discussing important issues and you want to get laid?"

"... Please?"

* * *

_***My body shape... XD**_

_**I'm doing Loki. I love me some God Of Mischief. I'm also doing Sherlock Holmes at some point. Dericious.**_

_**Am I the only one who, at some lines in this chapter, imagined Calico with a cat tail/ears? XD**_


	9. The End

Calico was carefully placing card on top of card, getting closer to the completion of her castle. What had started out as her trying to cure her boredom had escalated into a full out project.  
She could feel the excitement in her stomach as she placed the last card on the top. All that was left to take a picture.

Tony kicked open the bar door (and Calico _knew_ it was Tony, because only _he _would do that) causing the structure Calico had spent hours on to fall. She shoved her fist in her mouth to stifle her screams.

She turned to yell at Tony but saw Pepper behind him, smiling and holding a bottle of champagne and three glasses.

"Let's celebrate!" Pepper cried with a bright smile. Calico raised an eyebrow, feeling her anger slowly die down.

"Celebrate what?" she asked as the older two stepped towards her.

"The company's success." Pepper poured them each a glassful.

"To Stark Industries!" They toasted and raised the glasses to their lips, but were interrupted by the elevator door opening, revealing Phil Coulson.

"Oh, hey Phil!" Calico chirped, lowering her drink and smiling at the man. He smiled back and opened his mouth, only to be cut off by Tony.

"His first name is _Agent_, babe. Not _Phil_."

"Shut the _hell_ up, Stark." Tony inhaled like he was about to speak, and Phil raised his finger to point at him, also opening his mouth.

"What are you doing here?" Pepper cut off all further interaction between the two. Their attention snapped to the ginger-haired woman for a split second.

"We need Stark. There's been an attack..." Calico noticed a pigeon outside of the window and was momentarily distracted, but a moment seemed to be all it took for her to miss everything. The use of her name was what brought her back.

"... Could you please, Calico?" Phil asked in a hopeful tone. Calico's eyes widened.

"What? Sure, I guess."

"No! She can't, she's too soft!" Pepper shrieked, shaking her head with tears sparkling in her eyes. Calico gasped.

"What did I just! -"

"See? She consented." Tony said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pressing his cheek against her's. His beard tickled the smooth surface. Phil nodded at Calico, looking thankful beyond words.

"Thank you so much, Calico. We need all the help we can get. I'll be waiting for the two of you outside." he said, heading out. Pepper took one look at Calico and burst into tears. She threw her arms around Calico and buried her face in her shoulders.

"Please be careful..."

"Careful where? Where are we going?" Calico asked, wishing her attention span weren't so short.

"I'm glad you're worried about me, too." Tony interjected.

"I know _you'll_ be fine, but _Calico_! -"

"You're overreacting!" Tony said, shaking his head and waving his hands. Pepper sniffed and released Calico, frowning.

"You protect her, Tony."

"From what? -"

"Why wouldn't I protect my little Calico?" Tony cooed, pinching her cheeks in mid-sentence. He bent down and gave her a short kiss.

"She's like the little sister I never had." Pepper said sternly, tears still glistening as Tony grabbed Calico's hand.

"The Helicarrier is safe enough, Pepper. She'll be alright." Tony said as they walked out. Calico finally gave up, deciding it would be in her best interest to simply follow Tony.

He noticed the deflated expression she wore while they were on the elevator.

"What's wrong, Kitten?" Tony asked. Calico sighed.

"I don't know what's going on."

"S.H.I.E.L.D asked us to help a fellow scientist find the Tesseract."

"Who's the scientist?"

"Some man named Bruce Banner."

As soon as the words slid through Tony's mouth, Calico's silver eyes lit up.

"_The_ Bruce Banner? As in _The Hulk_?" she cried, clutching her chest in excitement. Tony raised an eyebrow in confusion, but nodded.

"Er..."

Calico was still bouncing around as she stepped into the car waiting in the front for them. Tony cleared his throat, and Phil gave her a strange look. Calico's cheeks warmed up as she slammed a hand over her mouth.

"Sorry, I was excited to meet Banner. He's one of my heroes." she said, smiling at the two. They exchanged glances.

"If you're that excited for the one guy, wait 'till you see the rest of the Avengers."

"Who's in your super-secret boy band that would make my kitten explode?"

"Thor Odinson's brother is the reason we're in tr -"

"Oh my God, you mean Thor's brother Loki? I wanted to marry Loki when I was little!" Calico squealed, clutching her red hair in excitement.

"He's... Evil." Phil said, raising a brow. Calico stopped squealing and blushed once more.

"I outgrew it a few years back. It's like that celebrity crush everyone had. Except he was a Norse God." Phil nodded.

"I can understand that."

"... I want to understand, but I had sex with my celebrity crushes, so I lost interest."

Calico giggled and kissed Tony.

"He's no Tony Stark, so you really have no worries. I can't wait to meet the other Avengers. _The Avengers_, Tony!"

* * *

_**Before you guys murder me, this wasn't supposed to be long to begin with! I've started on the Loki story, and the first chappy should be up within the next two days (Only because I want to start on more than one chapter...)**_

_**Now the ultimate question! Shall I make a sequel/extension (or something?)? Or call this the prequel to The Avengers?**_


	10. Chapter 10

**_Hey Guys!_**

**_Who's ready for the final version (with all the edits, the spell checks, and clearer- erm - writing styles?) of Calico Kitten? I'm about to upload it in a few moments. Have fun with it! XD_**


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